Circular-knit hosiery and method of making same



MalCh 3, 1931. R. H LAWSON Y 1,795,131

CIRCULAR KNIT HOSERY AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed Jan. 28, 192 2 Sheets-Sheet l R. H. LAWSON March 3, 1931.

CIRCULAR KNIT HOSERY AND METHOD OF1 MAKING SAME Filed Jan. 28, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 3, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROBERT H. LAWSON', OF PAWTUCKET, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR T0 HEMPHILL COM- PANY,`OF CENTRAL FALLS, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS CIRCULAR-KNIT HOSIERY AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Application led January 28, 1929. Serial No. 335,635.

This invention'relates to circular knit hosiery and method of making the same.

In order that the principle of the invention may be readily understood, I have shown in the accompanying drawings two embodiments of the invention and shall describe the best mode known to me for practising the method of my invention.

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a circular knit stocking constructed in accordancewith my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a circular knit stocking having ribbed work in the leg and in the front of the ankle and top of the foot, said stocking being constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 3 is a very much enlarged diagrammatic view of a portion of the knitted fabric of a stocking shown in Fig. 1, and clearly showing the temporary binding in of the float threads of the high splice and double sole by the floated portions of the lap stripes;

Fig. 4 is a similar representation of a portion of the fabric of the stocking shown in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a transverse section through the foot of a stocking upon an enlarged scale showing a further embodiment of the invention.

In Fig. 1, I have represented at 1 a circular knit or so-called seamless stocking having the usual narrowed and widened heel 2 and toe 3. The stocking is also provided with a high splice 5 and a double sole 6 by introducing an additional or reinforcing yarn which is knitted in with the main yarn 4throughout substantially one half the circle of the needles for the high splice and for the double sole and is floated for the remainder ofthe circle of needles. Obviously the shape ber arranged at desired intervals. Said lap stripes are preferably made by introducing an additional thread or threads at the lap stripe areas and interknitting the said lap threads with the main knitting thread. In Fig. 3, I have represented at 8 the main knitting yarn and at 9 have represented one of the lap threads and have shown the same as knitted therewith for two wales. Obviously the number of wales included within each lap stripe may be greater or less than the number shown, and within the scope of my invention more than a single main yarn 8 may be employed. For example, two main yarns may be fed for the leg and foot of the stocking, in a plating relation.

As shown most clearly at 11 in Fig. 3, each lap thread is lloated from each outgoing edge of a lap stripe across to the incoming edge thereof.

The high splice yarn is indicated at 12 in Fig. 3. It is, as stated, interknitted with the main yarn throughout the high splice area, and it or another suitable yarn is interknitted with the foot yarn in reinforcing the sole. Said yarn 12 is floated as indicated at 13 from the outgoing edge of the high splice and the reinforced sole in each course around to the ingoing edge. Heretofore in floating such yarn the same has extended directly across the fabric in a ladder effect to be subsequently cut out or said float thread lies directly against the inner face of the reinforced area. ln accordance with my invention I supply an additional amount or length of yarn for each iioat portion so that in each artial course said float portion lies fiat against the inner face or surface of the fabric from outgoing edge of the reinforcing area around to the incoming edge thereof, and in each such partial course each floated portion 13 is passed under the floated portion 11 of the lap stripe, so that each float 13 is temporarily bound in or held by said short float portions 11 of the lap stripes. This binding in occurs at each of the lap stripes whatever their number. After the stocking is completed and removed from the machine, each float thread 13 is cut at its two ends; that is, at the outgoing and incoming edges of the reinforced areas of the high splice and double sole, and said cut Heats are then entirely withdrawn from the fabric, it being evident that said Ho'ats are easily drawn out from beneath the short Heat portions 11 of the lap stripes inasmuch as said Heats 13 are not interknitted with the lap stripes.

In Figs. 2 and 4, I have disclosed another embodiment of the invention. Therein is shown a stocking 14, a portion of which is formed by rib knitting, such rib knitted portion preferably being the upper part of the leg 15 and the,y front of the ankle 16 and the top of the foot 17 down to or about to the toe 18. The heel 19 is of the usual narrowed and widened character and the high splice 20 and the double sole 21 are of the same character as those disclosed 4in connection with Fig. 1 and may be varied in shape or extent as desired.

In Fig. 4 are shown alternate rib wales and plain wales, the rib wales being indicated at 22 and the plain wale at'23.. In accordance with my invention the high splice and the double sole yarn where not interknitted with the main arn (which desirably is there knitted plain as for example at the high splice and the sole) is Heated as indicated at 24, but said Heats do not extend straight across the fabric from side to side with. a ladder effect, but they lie between the wales of the rib work and plain work, being temporarily bound in thereby, as .clearly indicated in Fig. 4. After the knitting has been completed, the said Heat threads 24 may, if desired, be removed bycutting them at the outgoing and incoming edges of the high splice and double sole. In this embodiment of my invention, however, as shown in Fig. 4, said Heats may be left'uncut and not be withdrawn from their ldescribed position.

The stockingherein disclosed may be made upon any suitable circular machine, as, forv example, upon the Banner machine having means (in making the fabric of Fig. 1) for incorporating lap threads or havin means (in making the fabric of Fig. 2) for itting rib work where desired, in which case a suitable dial will be provided with dial needles.

While I have shown the reinforcing yarn knitted in at only one area about the stocking, it is evident that within the scope of my invenion the reinforcing or other additional yarn may be interknitted at a plurality of points around the stocking, a s, for example, at two opposite points and that the said yarn may be Heated where not so knitted in. In such event the said Heated portions would be temporarily bound in at and by the Heat portions 10 of the lap stripe 7 in the manner already described. For example, two opposite, relatively' narrow, clocking areas may be provided by an additional yarn and said additional yarn would be Heated from one clocking area to the other and from said other clocking area back again to the first clocking area and Vso on" untilV the clocking areas are completed. In such case I would or might employ the lap stripes such as 7 and the Heat portions of the extra yarn which makes the clocks would be temporarily bound in by the Heat portions 11 of the lap stripes 7. In such embodiment of my invention I might leave said Heat threads permanently bound in because of the fact that the Heats are introduced'at two areas. Also it is to be understood that to make such clocks I may use two or more different additional threads contrasting among themselves and also contrasting with the main or body yarn and in each case I would or might bind in temporarily or otherwise in a non-knitted relationthe Heat portions of said several clocking yarns by the Heat portion of the lap threads or stripes 7.

In Fig. 5, I have shown a still further embodiment of the invention. In making what I term a' mock split foot or mock split work stocking, vthe instep yarn er the front ankle yarn is knitted in one half the needle circle plus two orthree needles at each side and then is Heated across from side to side. The sole yarn is knitted in half the needle circle whereon the sole portion of the foot is made and overlaps by two or three needles at each side the instep yarn, and then is Heated across from side to side. This makes an imitation seam at each side of the foot. My invention may be applied to a stocking constructed in this manner, and in Fig. 5 I have represented the instep yarnat 8 and themain yarn of the sole at 9."`I may in addition employ a reinforcing yarn 10 in the sole. The said several yarns overlap as indicated at 11, 12 to make mock seams on opposite sides of the foot. The instep yarn 8 is Heated across, as indicated at 13', and will be cut out after the completion of the knitting. The two so-le yarns 9', 10, if two yarns be here employed, are Heated as indicated at 14, 15', and are tied in by the Heat yarns of the lap stripe 16. If a pluralityof lap stripes be employed, as is preferable, the said Heat yarns 14', 15 (one or both as employed) would be similarly bound in by the Heats of the lap stripes. Preferably the said Heat threads 14', 15', after the knitting is completed, will be severed at the two ends and then drawn out from the stocking.

Having thus described my invention and the best mode known to me for carrying out the process of making the same, it is to be understood that although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims.

Claims:

1. A, knitted fabric having an additional Cil yarn interknitted therein at one or more areas and having means for binding, in a non-knitting relation, the floated portion of said additional yarn said means for binding being 1nterknitted with the main yarn.

2. A stocking having one or more reinforcing areas each extending partway only about the stocking with oated portions, and means for temporarily binding, in a nonknitted relation, said floating portion said means for temporarily binding being interknitted with the body yarn of the stocking.

3. A stocking having one or more reinforcing areas each extending partway only about the stocking with floated portions, said stocking having additional threads knitted into the fabric, and binding in a non-knitted relation with floated portions.

4. A stocking having lap stripe areas produced by additional threads interknitted with the main thread, said stocking having a reinforcing yarn or yarns extending partwa only about certain courses and floated in the remaining portion of each course, the said floated portions being bound, in a non-knitted relation, between theV main yarn and the lap threads, whereby upon severance of said floats they may be pulled out from the lap thread area.

5. A stocking having lap stripe areas pro duced by additional threads interknitted with the main thread, said stocking having a reinforcing yarn or yarns extending partway only about certain courses and floated in the remaining portion of each course, said reinforcing yarn or yarns being floated from outgoing edge to incoming edge of each lap stripe upon the inner face of the fabric, the float portions of the reinforcing yarns being temporarily bound in by the floated portions of the lap stripe.

6. That method of knitting which comprises knitting plain work and at intervals knitting in a reinforcing or additional yarn i and floating said reinforcing or additional yarn where not so interknitted, interknitting another thread with the main yarn and temporarily binding in said fioats by portions of said thread.

7. That method of knitting a circular knit stocking which comprises knitting the leg with lap threads at intervals, introducing a high splice or other reinforcing yarn for partial courses only and floating in the remaining parts of courses, said reinforcing yarn, 4in such manner that the floats are temporarily bound in by the said lap threads.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

ROBERT H. LAWSON. 

